Energy Efficiency, Industrial, Sourcing Renewables  -  February 8, 2018

Porsche and Mercedes move forward with EVs

Porsche announced that it is doubling the investment in its electric vehicle program to €6 billion, while Mercedes-Benz said it will have an all-electric version of its Sprinter delivery vans available in Europe by next year.

Porsche had previously announced the development of Mission E, the company’s first all-electric vehicle. With the first cars expected in showrooms next year, Porsche is moving toward "development of Mission E variants and derivatives," reported Clean Technica, adding, "That suggests the company will seek to spread the costs of developing the Mission E across more models to lower its per unit cost per vehicle." €500 million will go toward this program, with another €1 billion dedicated to "electrification and hybridization of the existing product range."

An additional €700 million will go toward "new technologies, charging infrastructure and smart mobility" said the company. Porsche and Audi have entered Ionity, a joint venture with the BMW Group, Daimler AG, and Ford Motor Company with the goal of constructing and operating 400 powerful rapid charging stations along major European traffic routes by 2020.

Mercedes’ Sprinter van, to be available in Europe next year, is expected to use a modular battery system that will allow it to tailor range and pricing. The company said the cost of operation will be similar to that of a conventional van, with the advantage of helping to reduce air pollution in cities. Clean Technica reported, "For cities like London that levy a 'congestion charge' on high pollution vehicles, the electric Sprinter could save both large and small fleet operators a significant amount of money by avoiding such fees." There is no word on when or if the electric Sprinter will be available in the US market.

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